I Am
by Lady Celebare
Summary: *Palpatine's Chapter Up* If Midichloriens could speak....
1. The Child

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Notes: I was inspired over the week to write up this little project. Hopefully it'll be the first in a whole series, sort of like "Naught but Guidance". It's from the point of view of a very special power, and it speaks to many beings throughout the Star wars saga…

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Science Note: Mitochondrians and Midichlorians are the same thing, I swear! O.o tell me if I spell Midichlorian wrong.

Strange, isn't it, that the fate of galaxies resides in a tiny, insignificant cell? Alone, that cell would be nothing, just another life swimming about in the primordial soup of our world. The cells band together, bind together, to create complex lives, to create you, the trees, the fish, the birds, even the lowly worms… alone, a cell is nothing. Together, they form the basis of life. They are in us. We are, in a sense, their children. We all came from them. We can all trace our ancestry to these cells…

Perhaps I never would have come into being if it weren't for the symbiosis of two cells. Hundreds of millions of years ago, a far longer time than anyone can remember, a little creature consisting of only a single cell united with another cell, and they became one. That little creature – called a Midichlorien today – harbored a great power within, a power that was unlocked by the unity of two cells… that power was Me. The moment the two cells came together, My power expanded and filled galaxies, and I was everywhere.

Evolution continued upon its chosen path, and single cells united to form complex organisms. As these new creatures evolved, they discovered My power within them. It allowed them to sense the future, predict movements, and even read the minds of others. Some, like the Ysalamiri, took this power to the highest level, evolving defenses like mental shields and enhanced reflexes. Others were only vaguely aware of Me, for I only existed in a select few. Then, by chance, one day I was discovered by sentient beings.

At first My power was only used to destroy. I'm geared towards that, actually. Those who possessed My essence used Me to slaughter their enemies, enslave other peoples, and reign as tyrants over worlds. I was indifferent to this. I am neither light nor shadow, evil nor good. I am Balance, though, and so soon there came others willing to use Me for good. These were warriors of justice, peace, and tranquillity, reaching out to Me only to do good works. These warriors came to be known as Jedi, and those of evil, Sith. I was finally given a name, and it was whispered in the halls of the learned in hushed tones, for I caused sorrow as well as joy.

And so we find ourselves now in your present. For Me, all time is irrelevant. Days flow into one another, years pass like seconds, and millennia vanish in the blink of an eye. Your present is in a turmoil, for the balance is shifting. I feel Myself more often being used for evil than for good. The midichlorians of the Holy Ones whither and die in the grip of this new menace. As My power shifts, so does everything else. You know nothing of politics, war, death, and suffering, but very soon you will. You will enter screaming and kicking, full of vibrant life, into a world wracked by the death throes of goodness. The government of sentient creatures is collapsing, and in its place rises an Empire. Thousands of lives upon hundreds of worlds will be extinguished. Through Me and My all-encompassing nature, the few good souls left in the world will hear those deaths. Perhaps you will be one of them. How old will you be then? By the time you know of Me, the darkness will have a hold on this galaxy. It will be left to you to see that it loses its grip…

I sense your question, little one. No, don't speak – I can hear your thoughts far better than your wordless voice. Do not disturb your sister. See? She is asleep. What am I, you ask? That is a question not even the eldest and most learned of scholars can wrap their minds around. Perhaps your mentor summed it up – no, will sum it up – best for you. I am an energy field, a life-force, binding all things. I lie between you and your sister, your mother, this house, the trees outside, the fish in the lake, the birds overhead, the stones beneath you, the sky above you… I am everything, and yet I am nothing. I am more powerful than nature, but I can accomplish nothing on my own. I depend upon the smallest creature, yet I control the largest and most powerful. Cryptic, no doubt, to a young mind like yours. Haven't you guessed it yet, my child? The simplest answer to your question is that… well… I am. That's all. I am, I always will be, and nothing more.

Sleep now, my child. Soon you will leave this warm and enter into a world full of darkness. Be a beacon, my child. You've been gifted with the ability to reach out and touch Me, and someday you will show others the path. Someday your own progeny will speak to Me as you do now. I cherish the unborn, you see. Their minds are amazing, as open as an innocent's, but as wise as a sage's. When you are born you will not remember this meeting. It will only return to you as you dream…

Dream well, Luke Skywalker. May your dreams carry you from the darkness of evil.

One last question, you say? What is My name? That, little one, is simple. Remember My name when you find yourself in dark times. I am the Force…

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End Notes: Who should the Force speak to next? I have an idea, but if there's a majority request in the reviews, I'll do that person instead.


	2. The Emperor

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Notes: This chapter presents a darker side of the Force, the one that the Emperor Palpatine sees. We all know the Force has a dark side and a light side…

Even the most corrupt of My children have My blessing, you know. You, above all people, should see that. Even after all these years of destruction, slaughter, and tyranny, you can still reach out and touch My essence… you can still sense what's going on systems away, and your gift with My lightning has not diminished. Your body had grown feeble through years of My corrupting influence, but you traded health away when you gave your soul to Me. Isn't that right, Emperor? Didn't you swear your life away to Me?

Look at those you've trained. Look at those who have helped you on your rise to power. Who, then, is more powerful than Me? There are none. You know I could crush them all like ants on a whim. I gave you life, and I can take it away. I give you your strength, and if you displease Me, I can rescind My gifts. That would leave you in quite a mess, wouldn't it? Don't make Me unhappy, Great Lord of the Sith. Don't underestimate Me.

Ah yes, an excellent question. If I do not take sides, how can you displease Me? What could you, an insignificant worm, possibly do to Me? That's a simple question to answer. What displeases Me is your lack of faith in Me. Of late you've become quite independent. You forget who blessed you with your power in the first place. Without Me you would not be an Emperor. You would be just another worm crawling blindly through life. 

And that, my dead Emperor, is why you will die. No, it's not because you've failed Me; you carried out My dark purposes better than I expected you to. It's simply because you've grown too big for your boots, so to speak. You have forgotten the root of your power. See, now, your pet assassin draws near. I once spoke to him through goodness, but you ripped that away. See what you've created? Ironic, is it not? Your own creation will be your destruction. See him approach, my dead Palpatine. See his black gloves extended, reaching for you. You've failed to kill the Child of Goodness. It wasn't through anyone's fault but yours, Emperor. You upset Me, and so I'm having you disposed of. Isn't that what you did to your minions? Goodbye, my Child…

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End Notes: The next chapter is still up to you… I've gotten a request for Qui-Gon, and that's who'll be next, unless I get another majority. So, review away…


	3. The Teacher

**Notes: **Wohoo!  I'm bringing this fic back from the dead!  So enjoy this newest chappy on Obi-Wan Kenobi, the greatest – in my opinion at least – of the Jedi Knights… I'll leave it up to you to guess when this takes place.

                What am I going to do with you, my child?  Out of all of those still living, yours is the most important destiny.  What you do decides the fate of galaxies, and yet you continue to float along in this stream of life, doing as you've always done: surviving.  You're a survivor, aren't you?  You've died enough times for a hundred men, but your life-force still seeps through your veins, and your noble heart still beats fiercely within your chest.  

From the moment you were born you were destined to do wonderful things.  Do you remember that stone, the one that held Me within its dark shell?  At that time you weren't old enough to fully understand what happened that day.  But your faith stirred Me to life, and when I had seen your love for Me, I saved your mind.  Yes, child.  The faithless would have lost themselves in your position.   And this was your first wonder: your trust in Me.  This trust is not the same as blind obedience, though.  You fight the injustices of your life daily.  You refuse to follow orders when they contradict the destiny you've conjured for yourself.  You cling to your hopes and dreams, believing that someday they'll all be fulfilled… and you base that on your faith in Me.

                And faith will save you now.  You've been tossed, flailing, into the open pit, and it is up to you to catch hold of the wall and save yourself.  I feel the anger stirring within your heart!  Do not give in to it.  Remember your dreams, and remember what you were taught.  If you turn to Me in anger, you can never go back.  Rein it in!  Keep that temper in check!  You're bold, my child, and strong and fierce and wild as a thunderstorm, but do not let your anger turn you to senseless destruction.

                Ahhh, but I see ambition as well.  It is the curse of the young.  In time – assuming you have time after this choice – you will drop that ambition and fight only for the destiny within reach.  It will be a terrible loss, but if you make that decision, it will benefit the billions relying on you.  Don't let your ambition trick you into accepting this false power held out by My Dark side.  Patience, child!  You were never good with patience.  If you accept that hate now, if you give in to the bloodlust singing in your veins, you will claim a swift victory over today's enemies.  But what of tomorrow?  You'll burn out quicker than a bit of paper on a bonfire, and in the end you'll have only this tiny half-victory.  And you'll die in agony, crying to Me to release you from the bonds of hate.  And I will be unable to do it.  Once you turn down that path, I must speak to you in a new voice.  Patience!  Wait, gather your strength, hold on to your life!  In the end, if you show me your faith, I will not let you fall.

                Your heart is in pain.  I can feel it throbbing as if it were my own, as if I had a mortal body with the same nerves as yours.  I can feel the unshed tears welling in your eyes, tears for the man lying on the durasteel beside you, tears for the helplessness you feel.  Don't give up hope.  If your mentor could give you one last piece of advice, it would be this: never give up on your hope.  Ignore for a moment the pain of the wounds on your soul and your skin.  Ignore the taunting of the red-faced monster above you.  Ignore all else but Me flowing within you, without you, beyond you, through you.  Feel My presence in your arms, your feet, your hands.  Feel it sooth you.  Feel it lift you up.  You are mine, and I love you.  Do not fail me.  Do not forget me.  You have a job to do, my child.  Will you continue to drift in this stream of life, or will you make the choice to take your destiny?  Whichever you choose, there will be no going back.  Paths will open before you in time, but all depends on this moment.

                Do not kill in hatred…

                Don't give in to hate…

                That path leads to My Dark Side…


End file.
